Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68369 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68369 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Jesus Christ. My vision became blurry right away, and my throat felt thick.
She tore off that note too.
I’ll show you pictures sometime from when Jake was your age. You look just like him.
I nodded and swallowed hard, but a couple tears rolled down anyway, and I quickly wiped them away.
Her hand trembled as she left that note in the neat pile she created with others she’d shown me.
The next note was longer, and I had to lean forward a little to see better.
Since he died, people around me have tried to keep him alive in one way or another. My sister and brother-in-law named their firstborn Grace, because Jake once said if he had a girl, that’s what he would’ve named her. If he had a boy, he liked Todd and JJ. Thankfully, Todd died with Jake, but Ryan named one of his boys JJ. The only surviving soldier in Jake’s unit also named their kid after him.
We’re still big on Easter in our family because Jake loved that holiday for some weird reason. Ryan and Darius still quiz each other about a stack of homemade trading cards of Medal of Honor recipients that used to belong to Jake. Lias named his business after him. Mom lights a candle for him every Sunday, on his birthday, and on all holidays. Before I got married, my brother-in-law Avery would drive me to the airport and tell me stories about Jake for my annual visit to his grave. These days, since I go with my husband, Avery will text me a memory. They went to college together.
Now there’s you.
I coughed into my fist and sniffled.
I’d thought being attack-hugged by Mary would’ve been the biggest emotional assault, but this was quickly rising as a strong contender.
Willow cleared her throat and proceeded with another note.
Tears started rolling down her cheeks too.
When Mom told me about you, I almost shut down. All this grief came back, and I didn’t know how to process anything. But then I found out you’re at Hillcroft to become an operator, and that helped. Anger always helps. I’m so fucking angry, to this day, because Jake gave his life to save others. I don’t care how noble that was. What a hero he was. Because he’s dead. I’ll never get my brother back.
Unfortunately, he’s alive and well in my head, and he would’ve been pissed if I tried to make you feel guilty. So I will ask. Are you sure you want to become a Hillcroft operator? And before you answer…
I knitted my brows as she tore the note and went to the following note.
If you moved to Washington, you’d have your whole family in one place. You could easily find work. Ethan has his gym, Darius runs a fish camp, Ryan is in the process of opening a bar, Lias runs a wilderness resort in the mountains, and no cartel members or human traffickers will ever kill you.
A breath gusted out of me, and I wanted to both laugh and cry. Today had been so damn overwhelming that I could barely tell what was up and what was down. But the thought of leaving Hillcroft behind me was impossible. My own world, my little house of cards, was small and still fragile, but it was my own. I was building this for myself. I was making friends. I had Bo… I was crazy about him. I was crazy about him. And I loved training too. I wanted to be here.
I sniffled and wiped at my cheek. “Darius managed to live in Washington and still work here, right? I’d like to visit a lot. But Hillcroft has become my home.”
Willow pursed her lips and looked a little harrumph-y, then ripped two sheets of notes off, and she didn’t show me what was on them.
Option 2. Go figures. You’re a Quinn. Of course you’re gonna go off and risk your life.
Unfortunately for you, I can pull strings around this place, and I will tell you right now. You’ll never go on assignment without me in your ear. I’m making an appointment with Quinlan and Coach today to make sure I’ll run intelligence and comms on all your future cases.
Was that a threat?
“Okay,” I said, clearing my throat. “That works for me.” Why wouldn’t it? Ryan had said she was brilliant.
She made eye contact briefly and narrowed her eyes, as if she didn’t understand why I’d agreed so quickly. Had she genuinely considered that a threat, then? As something I’d fight against?
Instead of saying anything—or writing it in a note, rather—she nodded with a dip of her chin and ripped off another two notes from the pad.
The next one looked to be the last.
I don’t have any other notes. Do you have questions?
I took a breath and thought about it, but after everything today…? Christ, I’d probably need two weeks of recovery before my brain could come up with any questions.